Tonight’s women’s volleyball match between San Jose State University and Colorado State University will be monitored by droves of armed police after one of the San Jose players received a chilling death threat. The threat is believed to be a direct response to Brooke Slusser’s support for single-sex sports.
On September 24, OutKick reported that Slusser had signed onto a lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing males to compete in women’s collegiate sports. The suit, which is being backed by the Independent Council On Women’s Sports (ICONS), charges that the NCAA knowingly violated the federal statute which guarantees equal opportunity for men and women in college education and in sports.
The lawsuit has been joined by a list of notable female athletes, including 12-time All-American swimmer and OutKick host Riley Gaines, Olympian Reka Gyorgy, and two-time NCAA champion Kylee Alons.
Slusser, the starting setter and co-captain of the San Jose team, was the latest to join the suit, citing fairness and safety. The news was significant as Slusser is a teammate of Blaire Fleming, a trans-identified male previously exposed by Reduxx for attempting to conceal his biological sex from his teammates.
Prior to transferring to San Jose, Fleming was participating in women’s volleyball in South Carolina for Coastal Carolina University. He appears to have fled to California just before the Save Women’s Sports Bill became law in the state, which would have prohibited him from continuing to play on female teams.
Since the Reduxx exclusive, Fleming’s participation in women’s volleyball has been closely monitored and hotly contested. Over the past month, four college teams have forfeited matches against San Jose in apparent protest of Fleming’s presence. Three of these teams are from the Mountain West Conference, and their forfeitures may result in significant penalties.
In joining the lawsuit against the NCAA, Slusser revealed there was significant turmoil within the San Jose team itself regarding Fleming’s inclusion. In a recent interview with OutKick, Slusser said: “It’s crazy to say, but it was an easy decision for me to join because it’s something I truly believe in.”
She added that she had received a tremendous amount of support after joining the suit, and that the reception had been largely positive amongst her colleagues.
“… 99% of it is just love and encouragement,” she said. “So, for me, it shows that I made the right decision to join. This is something that so many people do care about. It’s just that so many people are scared to talk about it.”
But while Slusser is being praised by many for her bravery, her outspoken support of single-sex sports has now also made her a target.
On October 2, a suspected threat against Slusser’s life was received by one of her teammates via Instagram. After being made aware of the threat, Slusser contacted police in Fort Collins, where she is presently staying ahead of tonight’s game against Colorado State University – one which is intended serve as the school’s “annual inclusive excellence game.”
Both San Jose University and Colorado State University were later informed about the threat against Slusser, and cooperated with Fort Collins Police to ensure the safety of the athletes.
Speaking to Reduxx, Slusser says there will be police escorting the athletes to and from their vehicles, locker rooms, and the gym. There will also be metal detectors installed at the entrance points, and armed officers will be present at the game in order to ensure the safety of everyone in attendance.
“After being shown the threat, it was a very uneasy feeling. Just because everything else that I’ve gotten so far – if it’s not in support of me – is just… hate mail, basically. Just people behind their screens saying hateful things that don’t mean anything to me,” Slusser said. “But reading that, it sent chills through me at first, just because that’s someone threatening to physically harm me.”
Though Slusser admits the attention she has received since joining the NCAA lawsuit can be overwhelming, she says she is steadfast in decision and undeterred by the threat.
“It’s not something I am stressing about or anxious about because it’s the right thing to do,” Slusser told Reduxx. “To my core I believe this is the right thing to do, and I think a lot of people agree with that. So it’s just dealing with the ebb and flow of how this situation is going to play out.”
Speaking to Reduxx on the threat received by Slusser, ICONS representative Marshi Smith slammed the NCAA for failing to protect female athletes.
“The NCAA must immediately eliminate male athletes from women’s teams and competitions. Collegiate female athletes are being placed in stressful, contentious, and increasingly threatening situations because both the Mountain West Conference and the NCAA have failed in their duty to protect female athletes from dangers both on and now off the court,” Smith said.
“We strongly condemn the threats against Brooke Slusser and call on the NCAA to take immediate, decisive action to end this madness. The safety and wellbeing of NCAA athletes cannot be compromised for even one more day.”